1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle of the convertible type (for short: convertible) comprising a top that can be stored in the rear of the vehicle underneath a lid part, wherein the lid part is movable for releasing a passageway for the top and wherein the lid part has correlated therewith an extension member which is movable relative to the lid part and, in the closed position of the top, is positioned in a stored position below the lid part and, in an open position of the top, is positioned substantially in front of the lid part, when viewed in the travel direction of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
German document 1 99 43 860 A1 describes a convertible comprising a lid part which delimits an upper side of a receptacle for the top when opened and which has an extension member moveable parallel to the lid part. When the top is open, the extension member is aligned with the lid part in the travel direction and extends it in this way. When the top is closed, the extension member is positioned below the lid part in a position parallel thereto and its topside faces upwardly. In order to minimize the size of the extension member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, lateral portions of the extension member, which face forwardly in an extended position and can be folded in and out, provide a division of the extension member; this configuration requires an additional drive mechanism for the movement of the extension member parts relative to one another. Even when the lateral parts are in the folded position, the extension member has still a relatively large size in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. It is therefore necessary to provide a large space for receiving the extension member and to accommodate the length of the lid part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In certain vehicle types such as pickup trucks or vehicles with a very short rear area, it is however desirable to limit the longitudinal extension of the lid part in response to the minimal space that is available or in order not to limit unnecessarily the available space.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,915 describes a convertible in which the top can be placed underneath the trunk lid in the rear area of the vehicle. In the forward area of the trunk lid, viewed the travel direction, an extension member is pivotably connected so that it can be folded in and out. When the top is closed, the extension member is pivoted either into a position below the closed top and aligned approximately with the trunk lid or, in the case of a rear top part provided with an integrated rear deck, into an approximately parallel position below the closed trunk lid. In the latter position, the extension member penetrates the trunk substantially transversely and projects into the closed trunk area so that the trunk space is reduced. For opening and closing the top, several pivot movements of the top must be realized, and this makes handling more difficult.
The German patent 1 96 37 038 C1 describes a cover for an elongate linkage passageway of a folding top of a convertible whose covering means can be folded upwardly from a position substantially covering the opening of the passageway, when the top is open, into a retracted position substantially releasing the opening of the passageway. The covering means is a flexible tightening strap which, when in its covering position, is tentered tautly along the correlated opening of the passageway. A cover plate functioning as a rear deck is provided which covers a frame opening in the upward direction when the top is closed. This cover for the frame opening comprises spring-elastic lateral flaps which project upwardly when the top is closed and can be folded into a covering position as a result of the spring load. The lateral flaps which project into the interior of the vehicle however cannot be folded into a stored position underneath a cover.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a convertible with a top which can be stored underneath the plane of a top cover wherein a minimal storage space in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle should be required for receiving the extension member below the top cover.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the extension member is pivotable relative to the top cover and is arranged at a right angle, or nearly at a right angle, relative to the top cover when the extension member is in the stored position.
In the vehicle of the convertible type (convertible), it is no longer required to provide underneath or below the top cover the space for the length of the extension member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; only a significantly reduced length is needed. The extension member in the stored position can be arranged vertically or nearly vertically in the space underneath the top cover. This is very advantageous, for example, for tall vehicles such as pickup trucks because they have a tall storage space but the length of the open cargo space is to be reduced as little as possible.
By providing the possibility of arranging covering parts for the linkage parts completely underneath the top cover or the extension member when the top is open, these covering parts are thus also arranged in a space-saving way. In particular, they do not require additional space in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. For example, they can be moved inwardly such that they are positioned in an area in which the linkage parts move laterally past them.